I work as the Non-native Invasive Species Project Officer for the National Trust for Scotland. Protecting wildlife and habitats through conservation work is my lifelong passion and my latest job addresses one of the biggest threats to biodiversity Ð invasive non-native species.

My Fellowship provides the opportunity to study the control and strategic approach to invasive non-native species (INNS) control in New Zealand. New Zealand has a greater investment in biodiversity than the UK but the problems and solutions have a lot in common with my country.

I wish to work with people involved in control programmes to learn from first-hand experience about techniques and operational procedure. I also hope to bring back examples of how a strategic approach from policy to ground level can be successful when resourced adequately, and how communities may be empowered to be part of the process. Ultimately, the practical measures learned from by study will improve control programmes in Scotland and I also hope to influence decision makers at a policy and resource level regionally and nationally.